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Riku Harada
Riku Harada is one of the main characters of DNAngel. She’s a student in class 2-B and Dark Mousy's original sacred maiden. Appearance Riku is a 14-year old girl with neck-length brown hair (red in the anime) and brown eyes. Her face is identical to Risa Harada's, but Riku's chest is slightly bigger. When she isn't at school, she usually wears practical clothes such as pants, overalls, and sport shoes. She doesn't know how to style her hair'Manga': Volume 11, Short Story 3. Personality Athletic, intelligent and popular, Riku is depicted as a serious and down-to-earth girl who cares for others' well-being. Despite not caring for fashion, she has a cute side and gets embarrassed easily when her feelings are exposed. Her spontaneity can make her abrupt, but she also reacts responsibly when needed. In the anime In the anime, Riku focuses on sports as she trains every day'Anime': Episode 1, Dark Revived and is depicted actively participating in her school club. She nonetheless wants to become more feminine and admires Ayaka Hatori, a graceful student from her school.Anime: Episode 7, Adonis of the Promise Garden She easily becomes grumpy when Risa Harada calls her out on her feelings and the twins argue regularly. History Childhood Born less than 10 minutes before Risa HaradaManga: Volume 1, Chapter 1: Warning of Trouble (and Romance), Riku shares an unbreakable bond with her sister despite living abroad with her father for two years during her childhood. The twins often switch place to trick their parents, but their mother always guesses who is who'Manga': Volume 15; Stage 4, Part 8. Before Riku leaves Japan, her grandmother gives her a teddy bear whereas Risa receives a rabbit plush. The little girls return home hand in hand when a group of boys (Takeshi Saehara, Masahiro Sekimoto and Daisuke Niwa) accidentally hit Riku with their ball. The bear falls onto a gated property rumored to be a haunted house. A resident takes the bear in with no care for the child's cries. To comfort her tears, Risa gives her the rabbit, but Riku can't forget her bear. That night, she sneaks out of bed and runs to the haunted house. One of the boys from that day (Daisuke) jumps over the fence and brings her plush back'Manga': Volume 6, Bonus: Riku and Risa. When separated, the girls' bond doesn't falter, and Riku, weakened, faints at least once'Manga': Volume 12; Stage 3, Part 18. Both girls now live with their parents in a large house. Rising Feelings Unlock Riku Harada is an ordinary middle school student when Phantom Thief Dark resurfaces after 40 years. One evening at her window, she sees the thief, who's flying back from his first heist. Immediately mistaking him for a voyeur, she screams loudly, causing Risa to rush to her side. It's only the beginning of a series of embarrassing encounters for both sides. One day, Riku's class has a swimming lesson, and the girl sees her classmate Daisuke Niwa talking to a rabbit. She can't help but notice the boy's clumsiness, especially then he (or at least With, who took Daisuke's place) almost drowns despite knowing how to swim. As she is hurrying to call the nurse, she sees the voyeur again by the pool and shrieks. Their paths meet again later at night: the thief enters her room and, despite her struggles, kisses her and spills liquid from a vial onto her face and bed. Before he leaves, she almost recognises Daisuke Niwa. However, the following day, when she hands Daisuke the vial that the man accidentally left in her room, he insists it doesn't belong to him. Riku is distressed her first kiss was stolen by the pervert'Manga': Volume 1, Chapter 3: Second Warning (of a Fallen Angel). Her feelings toward Daisuke Niwa become more and more complex. During a school excursion in the mountains, she cannot stand watching Risa beg the boy to save her hat, which was caught on a tree branch, to the point that she endangers both the boy and herself by trying to reach it. The two teenagers fall down the cliff, and Riku twists her ankle. Daisuke quickly guesses something is wrong and offers to carry her. Their long and painful walk back makes Riku realise how brave he is. She finally asks him to call her by her first name to distinguish her from Risa'Manga': Volume 2, Chapter 4: Warning about Dark (and his DNA). These feelings turn into love, but Riku is aware of Daisuke’s feelings Risa. She won't interfere in their love story despite her envy and won't talk about it to anyone, including her sister. When Risa comes to her asking for advice about her friendship with the boy, she refuses to help but still follows her in town to see how the discussion between them goes. She later accidentally meets Daisuke (who is in fact With in disguise) who innocently confesses to her by mistakenly saying "daisuki" ("I like you") instead of the name “Daisuke”. Furious, Riku slaps him and runs away'Manga': Volume 2, Chapter 6: Warning of a Big Gamble (and a Skyscraper). The following days, she keeps thinking about Daisuke's unexpected confession and finally wonders if she hasn't been mistaken for her twin sister'Manga': Volume 3, Chapter 7: Warning on St. White's Day (Part 1). On St. White's Day, Riku runs errands to prepare the celebration when Urakawa, a senpai she dislikes, forcefully confesses to her after convincing himself that she liked him. In actuality, she had been staring at Daisuke, who sat near him, but Riku refuses to admit that. Daisuke (who is Dark in control of the boy's body) rescues her and gives her a white ribbon, which Riku remembers Risa calling a symbol of love on this special day. However, "Daisuke" runs away before kissing her'Manga': Volume 3, Chapter 7: Warning on St. White's Day (Part 2). The following day, "Daisuke" faints and Hiwatari brings him to the infirmary. Troubled by the boy's behaviour on St. White's Day, Riku fakes a stomachache to join her classmates and surprises Hiwatari during a strange monologue. The latter quickly leaves them alone. Riku stares at Daisuke, admiring his sleepy face and unwillingly wondering if he'll become handsome like Dark in the future. She sits beside him and softly confesses her love for the unconscious boy'Manga': Volume 3, Chapter 8: Warning about Wings... who wakes up at this exact moment. Riku, afraid of rejection, flees the room, but Daisuke chases after her. When he finally catches her in the schoolyard, he asks her if they can walk together after school. The two flustered teenagers can't even discuss this further as Daisuke is kidnapped by men in suits. Riku is told to pretend Daisuke came back home normally, and even her teacher seems aware of what's happening, leaving the girl confused. The following day is the state's foundation anniversary. Dark has announced he will steal the Moonlight Mask and Risa leaves the house to meet with him. Riku tries to find her and, as she's walking down a street, sees Daisuke jumping over a roof. Her call makes him fall... and she notices Dark (With in disguise) right behind him. She screams, recognising the pervert, and Daisuke grabs her wrists and runs to protect her from the crowd that rushes in their direction. When they finally reach a safe place, Riku laughs, realising the famous Dark is some kind of voyeur. She tells Daisuke about her first encounter with the thief and how she believed it was him at first. The boy seriously asks her how she would react if he was Dark, and says something else which the sudden fireworks hide. He runs away before she can ask him to repeat himself. The following day, Riku sees the two boys leading the mysterious kidnappers in suits. They introduce themselves as new students, Funabashi and Saga. The latter gives her a disc, which she listens to as soon as the boys leave. She recognizes with embarrassment that it’s the audio of her discussion with Daisuke the previous day, and she can finally hear what he said when the fireworks interrupted him: the one he loves is now Riku. Moved to tears, she admits her feelings to Daisuke who arrived in the meantime, but their classmate Takeshi Saehara comes to tease them'Manga': Volume 3, Chapter 9: Warning about a Mask. Riku's feelings toward Dark remain antagonistic'Manga': Volume 4, Bonus Chapter: Warning about Glass (and Menou). The School Trip Unlock Riku and her class go on a school trip that will last for six days. The students are supposed to spend two days on an island, and the teacher tells them to be careful about the forest behind the hotel as there are bears. Daisuke promises Riku he'll search for her if she ever gets lost. In her hotel bedroom, Risa questions Daisuke about his feelings toward Riku, but, to her surprise, Riku finds them in an accidental but compromising position on a bed. Shocked, Riku accuses Daisuke of liking her only because she looks like her twin sister and leaves'Manga': Volume 4; Stage 2, Part 1. However, Daisuke's expression immediately makes her realise she misunderstood, and the rest of her day is filled with regret and anxiety. When she returns to the room she shares with Risa and their friend Ritsuko Fukuda, Riku immediately goes to bed. Risa, who stays with her, clears up the misunderstanding'Manga': Volume 4; Stage 2, Part 2. Riku awakens at night and notices her sister isn't in bed anymore. She searches for her until she sees her on the beach holding Daisuke, mistaking him for DarkManga: Volume 5; Stage 2, Part 3. Upset to always arrive at the wrong moment, Riku leaves the scene, crying. The following morning, Riku walks around, confused and still upset. She wanders so far that she is caught by surprise when night arrives and loses herself in the forest while trying to use a shortcut'Manga': Volume 5; Stage 2, Part 4. Scared, hungry and mad at herself for the arguments with her loved ones, she decides to wait for Daisuke to come for her like he promised on the first day'Manga': Volume 5; Stage 2, Part 5. After a long wait, Daisuke arrives and hugs her, relieved'Manga': Volume 5; Stage 2, Part 8. Daisuke can't help but laugh when Riku explains she was afraid of bears, and the two teenagers hold each other's hand while explaining the misunderstanding including Risa. Still afraid of Daisuke being angry, the girl apologises, and he kisses her forehead. Back to the hotel, Riku realizes she left the room without her key. Daisuke (who is Dark using the sleeping boy's body) appears and brings her out on a walk to tell her the truth by transforming into Dark in front of her. Riku questions him in disbelief, but is quickly knocked out by Daiki and Emiko Niwa, who had followed "Daisuke"Manga: Volume 6; Stage 2, Part 9. When she wakes up again, she's in her bedroom. She immediately remembers Dark and panics, telling the truth to Risa who calms her down: there's no way Daisuke can be Dark. Plus, her sister says, she obviously spent the night in her bed. Riku wonders if everything was just a dream. When she sees Daisuke again, she asks him if he can pick locks, but he denies having this ability. In the anime In the anime, Riku comes from a wealthy family: she lives with her sister and their butler in a mansion and, when she doesn’t ride her bike, commutes in a limousine. Risa's Chaperone Unlock Dark steals Riku's first kiss on his first heist's night and the girl believes she saw Daisuke's face right after. On the day following Dark's first heist, she's so flustered to collide into Daisuke Niwa she pushes him against the wall, accidentally knocking him out.Anime: Episode 2, Rekindled Feelings After Risa is asked on a date by Dark and returns home excitedly planning everything about it, Riku blames Daisuke for not guarding Risa properly and thus enabling Dark to speak with her. Unsatisfied with his answer, she puts him in a headlock. Then just as suddenly she asks whether Daisuke could be Dark, causing them to both remember the forced kiss between Riku and Dark. Daisuke admits nothing but quickly apologizes anyway and flees. Riku wonders to herself why Daisuke fears her. That evening, in their mansion, Risa cheerfully considers clothes for her date while Riku sits on the couch, unhappy about the situation and worried for her sister. After being asked if she is jealous, Riku leaves and lays on her bed in the dark until a bright light illuminates the room. A white, winged unicorn stands before her, knocking her unconscious and carrying her on its back into a portal. When she wakes up again, she’s in the owner of the painting’s castle, with the other kidnapped girls and, unfortunately, Dark, whom she accuses of being a pervert. After Dark tells her she isn’t fun, he flies away with Risa.Anime: Episode 3, ''Whisper of the Unicorn'' One following morning, Risa is thinking with delight about her evening with Dark and tells Riku about the details of their blossoming romance. Unimpressed and unnerved, Riku leaves the room. After school, she is stretching for lacrosse practice when she sees Daisuke walking with Satoshi, as he had offered to carry trays to the storage room with him. She remembers this when Risa asks her where Daisuke is, and the two girls go to the refrigerator. When they arrive, the door is locked, but they can hear the bangs and Daisuke’s cries from within the freezer. When Riku finally opens the door with the help of Risa and Mr. Kaseda. She finds Daisuke unconscious and his clothes torn. He awakens and asks how Satoshi is, relieving her.Anime: Episode 4, ''Between Light and Darkness'' One day, at the Harada Mansion, Risa laments her upcoming cooking class with the strict home economics teacher, Kaseda; whereas Riku is unexplainably happy. Later that day, the older twin gives one of the bandages she had prepared for her sister to Daisuke, who accidentally cut his finger. However, the boy accidentally spills water on her and Takeshi Saehara when he is surprised by the sight of his pet rabbit With in the classroom. While the class cleans the dishes, Kaseda announces that Daisuke and Risa will stay after school the next day to chop cabbages. That evening, Risa pleasantly brings tea to Riku, offers to massage her shoulders and Riku immediately realizes something is wrong. Risa does not waver under Riku’s scrutiny but eventually drops her innocent facade to share her true intentions: they will switch places the following day so that Riku can shred cabbage properly and spare Risa further punishment. The following day, in the girl’s restroom, the twins dress up as the other and train to imitate the other’s voice and mannerism. When Riku, disguised as Risa, walks out of the room, she interrupts Daisuke scolding With within in school bag. Alone in the classroom with “Risa” and his teacher, Daisuke is too distracted, which attracts Kaseda’s criticism. “Risa’s” annoyance bleeds through and she begins claiming her slices have been perfect, but catches herself and pretends to be meek. As Kaseda continues to criticize them both for Daisuke’s subpar chopping, Riku’s frustration builds. She mutters to herself, accusing Daisuke’s cooking skills being as bad as Risa’s. More shredded cabbage later, Kaseda inspects their work and praises them for their success. He says “Risa’s” apron suits her, much to Riku’s shock. Kaseda asks With, who switched place with Daisuke earlier, if he agrees. With responds with “daisuki”, which translates as both “I like it” and “I like you”, confusing Riku. That evening, Riku examines a dress in her closet and attempts to hide it from Risa when the latter enters. Riku rejects Risa’s compliments and the discussion brings both twins to a sad conclusion: they are very different but no one noticed they had switched place that day.Anime: Episode 5, Double Cooking Days later, Riku notices Daisuke seems down and she comes to him to know what is wrong. The boy asks her about present ideas for his mother’s birthday, but Takeshi Saehara interrupts. He and Riku disagree on whether Daisuke should find an original present for his mother. The girl thinks cherishing one’s mother is important, and she compliments Daisuke for his kindness. When Dark announces a couple days later that he will steal the heart of the “world's number one lady”, Riku is surprised. Will the thief really target a woman? She reminisces about her first (stolen) kiss and blushes, just as Daisuke Niwa enters the classroom.Anime: Episode 6, St. White Memories Closer and closer to Daisuke Unlock One day, Riku learns Daisuke has a lop-eared rabbit named With at home. When she meets him again in town after school, she uses the occasion to bring him to a pet shop and show him a similar animal. Riku explains how the way animals are displayed in the vitrine bothers her. When Daisuke’s pet rabbit pokes his head out of the boy’s bag, Riku is delighted and wants to pet him, but he won’t let her. The way Daisuke pushes With back angers Riku, but the boy quickly escapes from the discussion. Riku and Daisuke leave school together the following day, and the boy tells her about his concerns toward With. Riku understands immediately With loves the shop’s rabbit and is determined to help him find happiness. They immediately go to the pet shop, but the white rabbit has been sold. Daisuke notices a strawberry on the ground in front of the shop: With already knows. Daisuke calls his mother to check if With came home, but she answers negatively. Worried, the two children search for the pet in town. The weather turns to a storm; when they find With, he is stuck on top of a windmill. The rabbit is ultimately blown by the strong wind, but Daisuke catches him and he ends up unharmed. Riku praises Daisuke for his courage, flustering him. Later, Daisuke calls Riku on the phone to give her news of With and the two teenagers have a good time chatting.Anime: Episode 9, A Little Romance One evening, Dark is expected near the coast after announcing he will steal the Horn of Neptune from an underwater temple. Risa brings her sister along despite the latter’s reluctance.Anime: Episode 11, The Temple of Neptune The girl spends more privileged time alone with Daisuke Niwa under trees in the school’s park.Anime: Episode 13, The Eternal Mark A new student transferring to Riku’s class threatens the peace that settled between her and Daisuke. Indeed, Mio Hio attempts to get close to him on her first day, to the point she wants Daisuke to be partners with her instead of Riku, his designated one, in PE class. The two girls argue and the boy, who has to choose, picks Riku. Surely, the latter thinks, that feeling of relief must only be because they followed the teacher’s directions.Anime: Episode 14, A New Rival Summer break starts, and the twins’ vacation plans to the family’s summer house are postponed when their limousine breaks down in front of the Niwa residence. Kosuke Niwa invites her and Risa over while Tsubouchi fixes the car, and, when Mio Hio invites herself in and decides to cook for a hungry Daisuke, Riku steps in to prepare a luxurious meal for the Niwa men. However, the multiple traps hidden in the kitchen make the task harder than expected. When Emiko Niwa returns home from food shopping, the twins are invited to a barbecue and Riku helps her prepare the cake. Daisuke eventually thanks Riku for her care that day, but she dismisses it. During dinner, the girl notices Daisuke’s eyes are often on Risa.Anime: Episode 15, Barbecue Panic Relationships Risa Harada Innocent, spoiled, and depicted as "girly-girl", Risa is the opposite of her twin sister Riku, though both show the same stubbornness and tenacity, particularly when it comes to people they care about. She is initially confused with Riku and Daisuke falls in love, and jealous, but realizes she was more afraid of losing her sister and her friend than wanting Daisuke for and becomes supportive of the relationship. Daisuke Niwa Though Riku initially appears to only see Daisuke as a friend, its soon revealed that she harbors romantic feelings for him, though he initially can only see Risa. After her sister rejects him, Riku begins to see him less as clumsy and unreliable, coming to see his strengths and admitting to the feelings she herself had been denying. While trying to sort out her feelings, she remembers that they had met as children when he'd helped her retrieve her precious teddy bear from over a fence once night. Eventually she admits her feelings, but initially is disbelieving when Daisuke tells her he feels the same. Realizing he is speaking the truth, they become a couple. In the anime adaptation, Riku is more uncertain of her relationship with Daisuke, temporarily hating that he calls both her and Risa "Miss Harada" and acting jealous towards Daisuke. Dark Mousy Riku intensely dislikes Dark, feeling he is nothing but a thief and a playboy, however when Risa is in danger and he promises he will bring her back, she begins to soften her stance towards him. She also sometimes compares him to Daisuke. In the anime adaptation, Riku does find out Daisuke is Dark after he grows wings in front of her, to save her from falling to her death. Dark also steals her first kiss when he is forced to make an emergency landing on the Harada Residence's balcony, and this is his only way to stop Riku screaming for help. She thinks Dark stole her first kiss and resents him. Quotes *He wouldn't notice if I got a crew cut, shaved my head bald, or grew an afro! *Wha? Bu? Dar? What language is that? *They said that looking under the same sky is the one you love. *Mom, dad, Risa became a delinquent! Trivia *Riku's surname 'Harada '''means "field, plain" (原, ''hara) and "rice paddy" (田, da). *In the anime, Riku doesn't wrack her brain about Daisuke Niwa being Dark Mousy like she does in the manga. *Riku was the winner of the 2003 Anime Saimoe Tournament. Gallery Chapter 1 Riku's first appearance.png | Riku's first appearance. Riku and Daisuke uniforms holding hands.jpeg Riku playing lacrosse Daisuke and Risa cheering.jpg Harada.Riku.full.861306.jpg Risa and Riku holding hands anime.jpg Riku and Risa in school swimsuits anime.jpg risa and riku.jpg Dark Riku and Risa magazine anime.jpg Daisuke and Riku magazine anime.jpg Magazine pages group anime.jpg Cast+Mio in cute anime style from magazine.jpg References Category:Manga Characters Category:Anime Characters Category:Characters Category:Main Characters